Top 10 Emerging Fashion Designers in Fall 2016

Last updated on : September 23 2016

Bill Cunningham once said, “Fashion is the armor to survive the reality of everyday life.” One of the best things about fashion is the industry’s growing appreciation for creativity, differences, and the feminine form. As fashion continues to evolve we welcome celebrity designers such as Rihanna and Beyonce alongside leading fashion houses.

No matter what A-list fashion designers do or how many celebrities start their own fashion lines, there is a growing trend of emerging fashion designers taking center stage. These designers are everyday people sharing their appreciation for clothing with the world one runway at time. Here’s a quick look at the designers and brands taking style to new heights this fall (in no particular order).

Arthur Arbesser is a promising emerging fashion designer with an unique point of view. Born and raised in Vienna, the city’s history and architecture have been a wellspring of inspiration for most of his collections. While studying at Central Saint Martins College for Art and Design in London, the art scene greatly influenced and encouraged his personal style.

Arthur hails from Italy’s fashion megahouse Giorgio Armani. His style focuses on pulling together pieces that exude his technical expertise and practical sense of style.

Brandon Maxwell is an international rising star, and was awarded in January 2016 for his creative women’s wear. His namesake brand aims to create timeless pieces for women that are bold and sexy. Maxwell’s luxury brand was launched in 2015 last year in New York. His collection focuses on giving women powerful confidence in their body. Brandon’s inspiration to dress women comes from his formative years spent with his grandmother: who worked at a women’s boutique in Texas.

Brandon studied photography, and began his fashion career working as an assistant to stylist Deborah Afshani. He then went on to be the fashion director for Lady Gaga. Maxwell’s sharp tailoring has been recognized and worn by many influential celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Gwyneth Paltrow. His holds a degree in photography and shot his first ad campaign himself.

New Yorker Alison Chemla worked with some of the best jewelry houses before launching her own jewelry line, Alison Lou. Her creative design is inspired by modern communications - emoticons. Alison’s collection is as playful as it gets, because she believes that emoticons are the perfect way to communicate without having to say anything. Her jewelry is designed to help wears make a unique statement about themselves.

Each piece in her jewelry collection is sold separately to ensure wearers can mix and match to create their own statements of happiness, peace, and energy. Her playful fine jewelry is whimsical and decadent at the same time. Alison knows that women like to invest in fine jewelry and gives each piece of jewelry in her collection 30 days of design and production attention.

Fondly named as the “frill seeker” by the Guardian, Molly’s only aim is to put you in a good mood when you out in one of her frilly numbers. Her dresses are a close resemblance to the voluminous girly dresses that a girl may have worn in her young carefree childhood years. She designs and tailors her dresses in a way that adults can pull it off easily and with confidence.

Her first collection was launched and designed for under $600, and naturally grabbed the attention of multi brand stores. Molly picked up sewing from her mother and studied at Central Saint Martins. She yearned for a fashion line that featured various dresses that her mother created and designed for her and her sister on their birthdays and special occasions - and the line was born. Every Molly Goddard fashion show is unlike any other in the industry. The shows are playful, entertaining, and fun. Instead of model walking a runway she’ll have them charcoaling a nude painting of an older gentleman or carrying sandwiches with veggies the same color as their dresses.

Brothers Eri and Philip Chu established Ground Zero in 2008. Their fashion pieces reflect a counterculture that is riveting and exciting. One that undermines casual attire, but takes it to even higher levels. The brothers began by their foray into fashion by redesigning their own clothes while in high school. Eric studied graphic design in Hong Kong, while Philip pursued fashion designing in London.

They brothers started the clothing line as a testament to starting from scratch. The brothers apply this philosophy to all their design collections that feature sweatshirts, jeans, and colorful pants. They've collaborated with celebrities from Hong Kong and major retailers including D-MOP and Bypac. The brothers are well known in Hong Kong for their unique and established fashion identity and are looking to launch in the states in the near future.

Rejina Pyo is a favorite among influential retailers including Net-a-Porter and Harvey Nichols. The emerging designer offers an elegant style that is deceptively simple, yet decadent. Born and raised in Seoul, Pyo is inspired by her mother’s sketches. Pyo’s designs and collections feature abstract art that is feminine and subtle. Trained at Central Saint Martins, she has quickly become a recognized designer that is making big waves in the fashion industry.

Her style is understated, but she keeps it all fresh with eccentric color combinations. Her collections often combine different fabrics that tailor together comfortably for polished style and wearable texture. Pyo’s coats have a deconstructive vibe that is edgy and bold. She uses quirky graphics and colors are a signature and focuses on styles that are timeless. Currently, Pyo teaches diploma courses for Central Saint Martins, London.

It was after graduating from Central Saint Martins that Kim Trager and Lowell Delaney launched their namesake brand in 2012. They debuted in London Fashion Week in 2015. The duo arise from strong fashion backgrounds and influencers. In fact, Kim’s family history claims her grandmother introduced jeans to Denmark in the 1970s’.

Lowell worked with Alexander Wang and various other labels before teaming up with Kim. The duo work separately but the result is often overlapping ideas that goes to show how they might just share “one brain”. Their clothes are designed smartly to look feminine and involve some of the brightest and bold colors and shapes. Their luxury label is known for their attention to detail, and incorporation of various fabrics and textures.

When you think vintage - think Sadie Williams. Her vintage style inspiration is creative, unique, and bold. This emerging fashion brand takes its cues from various approaches, such as a skiing holiday photos transforms into a sequin and patchwork dresses and kilts. The brand is based in London and offers youthful, sports women’s wear that exudes feminine sensibility and practicality.

Sadie has worked with mega fashion houses including Marc Jacobs, Katie Hillier and many others. She launched her own fashion label in 2015 and received rave reviews for her AW16 collection at the London Fashion Week. Sadie’s strengths are shown in her graphic prints, and revolutionary choice of textiles and metallic sparkle.

Monse was launched in early 2016 and it has already become the latest buzz in fashion. Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim discovered each other's fashion compatibility while working at Oscar de la Renta. You are likely very familiar with the brand as many influential celebrities have been spotted wearing the line to concerts or simply as daywear.

Monse is best known for their signature off shoulder shirts, and voluminous ballgowns. The duo believes that modern women prefer to opt out of wearing traditional gowns and thus the line easily balances comfort and style.

This is an emerging fashion designer label that designs clothes that are not based on gender or demographics. Launched in 2011, their collection is designed and manufactured in the United States. Each piece transcends time and features classic pieces that are wearable in the present and even meant for the future.

Beyonce and Erykah Badu are fans of this label. The anonymous designer aims to drive the collection for everybody and remains unidentified. When attending a fashion show by 69 expect to be in a gender neutral environment. Models often walk the runway wearing masks as each piece is unisex and designed for both men and women.

Emerging fashion designers bring a new edge, inclusiveness, and transparency to the industry that is unprecedented and impressive. These emerging designers and countless others continue to push the envelop that demands that leading fashion houses work hard to duplicate and incorporate variations in style.

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About the Author

Sasithon Bella is the kewl in The Kewl Shop. Co-founder, chief buyer, bandage dress guru and a lot more. If you like what you see at The Kewl Shop it is because of Sasithon Bella. You might know her better as Sasi.